Reading group discussion guide for "The Emperor of Gladness"

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Discussion questions for "The Emperor of Gladness"

There are 2 epigraphs that unfastened the book–one quotation spoken by Hamlet astir the decease of Polonius successful Hamlet, and an excerpt from the Wallace Stevens poem "The Emperor of Ice Cream" astir the existent world of death. What does the inclusion of these epigraphs invitation you to deliberation about? What bash they suggest astir the cycles of beingness and decease successful the novel? As Hai moves done the 4 seasons successful the 4 antithetic sections of the book, however bash the recurring reminders of cyclicality impact your reasoning astir the destiny of the characters?
Hai's migration communicative begins with the "ruinous wasteland" near aft the American War successful Vietnam, and continues with his parent and grandma moving to marque definite helium was the archetypal successful his household to spell to assemblage (81). Hai tells Grazina that helium utilized to imagination astir penning a "novel that held everything [he] loved, including unlovable things" (35), a imagination that is aboriginal described arsenic a "bigger life" that helium ne'er achieved. How is the American imagination portrayed done Hai's migration story–is it achievable, and for whom? How does Grazina's migration communicative from Lithuania subordinate to the American dream?
Grazina tells Hai that "[t]o beryllium live and effort to beryllium a decent person, and not crook it into thing large oregon grand…is enough" (251). Grazina's position connected enough is partially informed by the information that she had everything, and mislaid it successful World War II. What bash you deliberation the caller is saying astir whether oregon not dreams tin travel existent for these characters? What bash you deliberation the caller is saying astir societal people considering that the main characters are each struggling to marque ends meet? What is enough for them?
When Hai gets hired astatine HomeMarket, helium "regained a real, quantifiable foothold successful the world," and helium had ne'er felt "so included successful something" (59). What are the ways successful which Hai's relationships with his HomeMarket coworkers BJ, Maureen, Wayne, and Russia supply him with a assemblage helium needs? How does HomeMarket go a existent location to him? Why is Hai capable to find a location and household there, and not with his parent oregon successful college?
Although the formed of characters is from divers racial, cultural, and taste backgrounds, they find commonality successful their household stories. They stock laughs and meals together, and they besides person shared trauma. Just arsenic Grazina lives with the trauma of World War II, Hai and Sony, and their parents, woody with the effects of the American War successful Vietnam. How bash the antithetic ways they spot the satellite assistance them to larn from each other?
Hai has respective parent figures successful his beingness including Grazina and Maureen. When Hai asks Maureen astir however she was bully to her deceased lad Paul, she responds that "when you're somebody's mother, nothing's bully enough" (359). Considering Hai's strained narration with his biologic mother, what bash you deliberation the relation of mothers is successful this novel? What are the antithetic things each parent fig offers? Do you deliberation Hai's narration with his biologic parent tin beryllium repaired?
The caller has a fluid timeline arsenic the past, present, and aboriginal are often mixed up successful the minds of characters. Hai helps Grazina relive her past, and helium wonders "[W]hat did it substance which timeline they were in" (252) portion Maureen believes successful the Mandela effect of aggregate timelines existing astatine the aforesaid clip (265). What is the relation of clip successful the novel? Why is the past truthful almighty for characters?
There are galore ghosts and shade stories successful this novel: Hai comforts Grazina initially by singing her a Vietnamese opus to rise the dormant (34), and Bà ngoại claims that the Stonewall Jackson Museum has ghosts (160) and demons (165). What relation bash you deliberation ghosts play successful this novel? Are they affable oregon harmful? Who bash they haunt, and why?
Hai argues to Sony that they don't request to beryllium soldiers, and that "most radical are brushed and scared" (343). Hai says that we archer ourselves stories to marque beingness much "bearable" (344). How is the vulnerability of the characters related to their humanity? What are the antithetic stories these characters archer themselves, and however bash those stories marque their lives much livable?
Hai explains that Noah's decease by overdose rapidly followed by his Bà ngoại's decease were a mates of the reasons that helium dropped retired of assemblage (190). What are the antithetic ways characters header with decease successful this novel, and however are characters inactive haunted by the deaths of others?
When Hai and Sony look astatine a photograph of their mothers, Sony declares them to beryllium "[b]eautiful, abbreviated losers," which makes Hai wonderment "[w]hat bully is beauty, immoderate beauty, if cipher wins" (231). Where bash you spot quality successful this caller wherever the characters are losing truthful much? How would you reply Hai's question astir the relation of quality successful our lives?
The caller often compares information and world to lies and illusion. What is the novel's narration with the information if Hai lies to his parent astir going to aesculapian schoolhouse (85), and Sony knows the information down the lies his parent has been telling astir what happened to his begetter (368)? Why bash characters lie, and what are the consequences of those lies? How mightiness lies beryllium kindnesses successful this caller considering the information that the lies cover?
At the extremity of the novel, Vuong leaves readers with images of some anticipation and darkness. He gives america a look into the aboriginal of the different main characters arsenic good arsenic HomeMarket, but leaves retired Hai's future. Instead, Hai remains successful the present, wrong a dumpster. He is successful an enclosed space, talking to his parent astir the spaciousness wrong radical (396). There are different moments of anticipation astatine the extremity of the novel—Hai giving Sony the wealth to get Aunt Kim retired of prison—juxtaposed with a convulsive last image: the emperor hogs dragged to the butchery (397). What ending would you constitute for Hai's life? What bash you marque of the hopeful and tragic elements co-existing successful these last moments? The narration betwixt anticipation and despair? Which taxable bash you deliberation is astir almighty successful the story?